Would You Support A National Registry for Animal Abusers?

It might sound a little extreme to have a national registry for animal abusers -after all, they’re hardly as dangerous as sex offenders, but when you actually think about it, it does make a lot of sense. After all, no one wants animal abusers to be able to adopt poor little puppies and kittens do they?

New York’s Suffolk County legislature on Wednesday signed off on a measure that would publicly name anyone convicted of animal abuse by having them report to a registry for five years after their conviction.

“Most serial killers began as animal abusers,” Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Chief Roy Gross told the North Shore Sun. “It’s a known fact: people who hurt animals hurt people too.”

The Sun story says the convicted abusers would pay a $50 annual fee for upkeep of the registry, and those who fail to register would be charged $1,000 or face jail time. The legislature is also considering another bill that would require pet stores and animal shelters to check the registry before allowing anyone to adopt or buy an animal.

So what do you guys think? Would you support an animal abuse registry or do you think it goes too far?